


saving us a riot

by Schriftstellerexcerpts



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-12-26 22:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18291512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schriftstellerexcerpts/pseuds/Schriftstellerexcerpts
Summary: Cheryl Blossom has always been the fashionista in the family, while Nicole has always been the protector. Jason, when he was alive, was the type of guy to always go with the flow. With it being just Cheryl and Nicole now, Nicole has been majorly overprotective of Cheryl. She even goes to the extent of driving Cheryl wherever she needs to go, texting her a countless amount of times to see what she’s doing, and making sure that she’s in her bedroom at night. Sometimes she sleeps on the couch just to make sure no one comes into their house. Whereas Cheryl loves how much her sister cares for her, sometimes it gets to be a little too much — especially recently because Cheryl has been seeing Nicole’s best friend, Toni Topaz.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, all! So sorry it's been so long. I've been super busy. Recently, I've been on a Riverdale kick and I wanted to put something out there about my two favorite worlds crossing. I hope you guys enjoy and all feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Riverdale hasn’t been the same since the death of Jason Blossom. Truly, the small town was messed up before Jason’s tragic death, but everything went downhill after he passed away. For one, Clifford Blossom hanged himself and Penelope Blossom abandoned her two other daughters, who were the triplets of Jason. The two girls, Cheryl and Nicole, are doing moderately okay. Their grandmother, Nana Rose, is now their legal guardian and lives with them at Thistle House.

 

Cheryl Blossom has always been the fashionista in the family, while Nicole has always been the protector. Jason, when he was alive, was the type of guy to always go with the flow. With it being just Cheryl and Nicole now, Nicole has been majorly overprotective of Cheryl. She even goes to the extent of driving Cheryl wherever she needs to go, texting her a countless amount of times to see what she’s doing, and making sure that she’s in her bedroom at night. Sometimes she sleeps on the couch just to make sure no one comes into their house. Whereas Cheryl loves how much her sister cares for her, sometimes it gets to be a little too much — especially recently because Cheryl has been seeing Nicole’s best friend, Toni Topaz.

 

Toni Topaz is a member of the South Side Serpents. She and Nicole have been best friends for years now. Nicole is also a South Side Serpent, even though she’s not from the South Side. She jointed shortly after Jason passed away. She figured it would help protect Cheryl and it has proven that it does just that. Now she has a whole gang to protect who she cares about.

 

Cheryl and Toni have been seeing each other for a couple of months now. It started when the two of them were hanging out at Thistle House together. They were waiting for Nicole, who was out on a date with her girlfriend, Waverly Earp, to get home. While they were waiting, Cheryl opened up to Toni about everything that she had been thinking about. Toni had comforted her and held her while she cried. This resulted in the two of them making out, which was the beginning of their relationship. They tried to stop it, tried to stop their feelings, but they couldn’t stay away from each other.

 

They keep telling each other that they’re going to tell Nicole, but they lose all courage when the time comes. They also know that it’s wrong what they keep doing, keeping this secret from Nicole, but they can’t help it. Basically no one knows about their relationship besides Veronica and Archie, who are both relatively close with Nicole.

 

“Toni,” Nicole calls as she jogs in order to catch up with Toni in the Riverdale High hallway. “Can you come over tonight? I was thinking of inviting a few friends over to watch some movies.”

 

Toni wants to tell Nicole that she can come over night, but she already made plans with Cheryl. The two of them are going to go on a ride on Toni’s motorcycle and go stargazing. “I can’t,” she says, trying her best to not give herself away. “I told Jughead that I’d help him work on his motorcycle.”

 

Nicole sighs and tucks her hands inside the pockets of her jeans. “Oh, okay. Cool,” she replies, lifting one of her hands up to rub the back of her neck — something she does when she’s nervous or upset.

 

 _Not the neck rub_ , Toni thinks to herself. “You and I could do something tomorrow, though?” She suggests.

 

Nicole shakes her head. “No, it’s cool,” she says. “I should be used to you blowing me off by now.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Toni asks, raising her eyebrows.

 

“You’ve been blowing me off for months,” Nicole tells her. “Whenever I ask you to do something, you seemingly always have something else to do. When did I become a raincheck to you?”

 

Before Toni can reply, Cheryl approaches them with her cheery smile. “Hi, mes Serpents,” she greets both of them. “Toni, are you coming over to Thistle House?”

 

Nicole shakes her head. “No, Cher, she’s not. She has better plans,” she tells her sister. “I’m gonna go find Waverly.”

 

“Nicole,” Toni tries, but Nicole completely ignores her and starts walking away. “Can I at least call you later?”

 

“Yeah, don’t bother,” Nicole says before she disappears around the corner.

 

Toni sighs and turns to Cheryl. “We have to tell her, Cheryl. It’s starting to affect our friendship and I don’t want to lose her.”

 

Cheryl nods her head. “I know, babe. I’m just not ready for her to freak out because you know she’s going to. When she’s mad, she’s scary.”

 

“Oh, I know,” Toni agrees. “Let’s not forget the time when she thought Jughead kissed me. I thought that she was going to kill him.”

 

“She’s really protective over the people she loves,” Cheryl says. “We’re the two most important people in her life, besides Waverly. I don’t even know how to go about telling her.”

 

“Yeah, neither do I, but we can’t keep hurting her.”

 

—

 

Cheryl and Toni are laying down underneath the stars in a secret place in the forest when Cheryl’s phone beeps. She grabs her phone and checks to see who texted her.

 

_Where are you? You left without so much as a goodbye. Not cool. -NB_

 

“Who is it, babe?” Toni asks.

 

“Nicole,” Cheryl tells her, “asking where I am.”

 

_Sorry, sis. I’m with V at Pop’s, grabbing some dinner. I can get you a PBB shake if you want? xx -CB_

 

_No, I’m good. I’m going to Waverly’s for the night. Will you be fine alone or do you want me to stay? -NB_

 

_No, you go. I’ll be fine. -CB_

 

_Okay. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be home in the morning. Love you. -NB_

 

_Love you, too <3 -CB_

 

“In the clear?” Toni asks.

 

“Yup, we’re all good,” Cheryl assures her. “Nicole’s going to Waverly’s for the night so do you want to spend the night?”

 

“As much as I want to, babe, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Toni replies, pulling Cheryl into her. “She could come home at any given moment and catch us together.”

 

“Please, TT?” Chery practically begs. “I want one night with you in my bed. I’m tired of secret rendezvous.” She leans closer and nibbles on Toni’s ear. “I want you.”

 

Toni lets out a shaky breath. “Then we had better go now before I change my mind.”

 

They never meant to fall asleep. The plan was for them to do their thing for a few hours, then Toni was supposed to go home. Well, that few hours turned into sunrise. The two of them were exhausted, sweaty, and blissful. They cuddled and kissed and that was supposed to be that, but they ended up falling asleep, completely wrapped up in each other.

 

Nicole, on the other hand, woke up before the sun even came up. She was going to go home then, but Waverly had made her stay in bed. She laid for a few more hours before deciding to get up, despite Waverly’s attempts to keep her in bed.

 

“Baby, I have to go check on Cheryl,” Nicole tells her sleepy girlfriend. “You know, you could come with me? I can make the three of us breakfast.”

 

Waverly thinks on that for a few minutes. “I think I’m going to take you up on that offer, Ms. Blossom.”

 

Nicole laughs softly before reaching for her t-shirt and putting it on. “Get up, baby.”

 

Waverly sits up in bed. “I’m up, I’m up,” she declares. “Will you hand me my bra?”

 

Nicole walks over to Waverly’s dresser and grabs her bra. “Here you go,” she says as she tosses it to her. She picks her jeans up off of the floor and slips them on. “Where’s my jacket?”

 

“It’s on the back of my desk chair.”

 

Nicole smiles before walking over and grabbing her black South Side Serpents leather jacket. “Why do you always have to clean up our clothes after we have sex?”

 

“I don’t like my room being messy,” Waverly tells her as she climbs out of bed and slips on some yoga pants and a crop top. “Let me go brush my teeth, then I’ll be ready.”

 

“I’ll be outside waiting for you. I parked a block away. My usual spot, okay?”

 

“Okay, the window is already open for you.”

 

When the two of them arrive at Thistle House, Nicole notices Toni’s motorcycle parked outside of the house. She furrows her eyebrows and quickly puts her motorcycle in park.

 

“Why is Toni’s motorcycle here?” Nicole asks, even though she knows that Waverly doesn’t know the answer to her question. She makes her way inside and shouts, “Cheryl?! Toni?!”

 

Cheryl’s eyes shoot open and she shakes Toni awake. “Toni, hurry up and put your clothes back on.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Nicole’s home,” Cheryl whisper-yells. “Babe, hurry up. She’s going to come upstairs.”

 

Toni hurries up and gets out of Cheryl’s bed, puts her clothes on, and runs to Nicole’s room. She crawls into the bed and makes it look like she’s been sleeping in there the whole night. Meanwhile, Cheryl puts on her usual pajama top and bottoms and slides her robe on over it. She fixes her bed to make it look like only one person slept in it last night. She grabs her perfume and sprays it, hoping it will take the smell of sex out of the room. Once she’s done, she leaves her room and goes downstairs.

 

“Good morning, sis,” Cheryl beams.

 

“Cheryl,” Nicole breathes out, “why is Toni here?”

 

Cheryl’s heart races and she tries to think of something to say. “She stopped by last night looking for you. She said you were upset with her or something and she wanted to talk to you. I told her that you were at Waverly’s. I was kind of glad she stopped by, though, because I was going to text you to come home because I was scared, but she offered to stay. I figured it was a win-win situation because I didn’t want to mess up your night with Waverly. Toni slept in your room and I slept like a baby knowing I wasn’t alone.”

 

Nicole takes a moment to think about her sister’s very detailed explanation before nodding. “Okay,” she says, “is she still sleeping?”

 

Cheryl shrugs. “I’m assuming. I can go wake her up if you want me to.”

 

“Sure,” Nicole replies. “I’m making breakfast. Is eggs and bacon okay?”

 

“Sounds great, sis,” Cheryl smiles. “I’m going to go freshen up.”

 

When Cheryl gets back upstairs, she goes straight to Nicole’s room and tells Toni that they’re in the clear.

 

“Did she suspect anything?” Toni asks as she gets out of Nicole’s bed.

 

Cheryl shakes her head. “No, I told her that you stopped by last night to talk to her, then stayed because I was scared.”

 

“Nice cover, babe,” Toni grins before leaning into kiss her.

 

“She’s making breakfast,” Cheryl says. “I’m going to go change, but you should go down there and talk to her.”

 

Toni nods. “Okay.”

 

When Toni gets downstairs, she goes to the kitchen where Waverly and Nicole are having a conversation while Nicole makes breakfast.

 

“Hey,” Toni greets them.

 

Nicole turns to her. “Hey, T,” she smiles. “Thank you for staying with Cheryl last night.”

 

“It’s not a problem, ‘Cole,” Toni replies. “About yesterday…”

 

Nicole shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she assures her. “We’re fine.”

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“Yeah,” Nicole says. “You took care of my sister for one night. I respect that so we’re okay.”

 

Toni feels a pang of guilt. She needs to tell her. Maybe she should just blurt it out now, then it would be out in the open. They could scream and get everything settled right now. She contemplates doing that, but then she sees the smile on Nicole’s face as she leans into kiss Waverly. She can’t ruin that, not now.

 

“Grab a seat, T,” Nicole tells her. “I’m making eggs and bacon.”

 

Toni sits next to Waverly and feels a sense of ease as she does so. “Thank you, ‘Cole.”

 

Nicole leans in and kisses Toni on the forehead. “Anything for my favorite girls.”

 

They’ll tell Nicole eventually, but right now she’s just enjoying this moment. Waverly siting next to her, softly humming to the song that’s playing on the radio, Nicole cooking breakfast with a smile on her face, and her girl upstairs getting ready for the day. _This is happiness_ , she thinks to herself. She wouldn’t trade this for anything.

 

The truth is, Nicole hasn’t smiled much since Jason and her father died. Ever since then, she’s been putting on a tough front, making it seem like she’s okay. Toni sees right through that, though. She was the one who held her when Jason died; she was the one who stayed the night every single night after her father died; she was the one who helped her take out her anger when her mother left. She’s been there for Nicole through it all. Their friendship is everything and she doesn’t want to jeopardize that. Ironically, though, she’s doing exactly that. When it comes down to it, will she have to choose Cheryl or Nicole? She can’t do that. Her friendship with Nicole is too important. Nicole needs her. Her relationship with Cheryl is also important and Cheryl needs her, too.

 

What’s she going to do?

 

 

 

 


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah,” Toni replies. “Cheryl, she needs me…” 
> 
> Cheryl nods. “I know.” 
> 
> “Which is why we have to tell her,” Toni continues. “We can’t keep hiding this, hiding us from her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Here's chapter two. By the way, to explain Nicole's nickname for Cheryl -- since Cheryl's middle name is Marjorie, I decided to have Nicole's nickname for her be "Margo." Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. As always, any and all feedback is welcome.

Before Jason died, he gave one of his favorite hats to Nicole. It was a Riverdale High hat that was more worn than Nicole had ever seen. The seams on the yellow ‘R’ were falling apart, the blue was fading, and there was a dirt stain on the bill of it, but it was everything Jason and Nicole loved that. She has never worn it. Honestly, she can’t bring herself to so it stays on top of her dresser, facing her bed — that way it feels like Jason is watching over her.

 

She’s in her bedroom, laying on her bed and facing the hat. She feels her eyes start to burn, but she’s quickly taken out of the moment when her phone beeps.

 

_Wanna go to Pop’s? -VL_

 

_For sure. Meet you there in half an hour? -NB_

 

_Sounds good. Betty might be coming, too. -VL_

 

_Okay. -NB_

 

Nicole hops out of bed, fixes her hair and clothes, then goes downstairs. When she gets down there, she sees Cheryl and Waverly sitting on the couch.

 

“Hey, I didn’t know you were here,” Nicole says before walking over to Waverly and pecking her on the lips.

 

“I just got here,” Waverly tells her, pulling her in for a more proper kiss. “Cheryl texted me and asked if I wanted to come over and watch a movie.”

 

“I’m gonna go to Pop’s with Veronica,” Nicole tells the both of them. “Do you guys want anything?”

 

“Will you get me a-“

 

“Strawberry milkshake?” Nicole finishes for her sister.

 

Cheryl nods, smiling. “Thank you, Nicky.”

 

“No problem, Margo,” Nicole grins. “What about you, Waves?”

 

“I’m good. Wynonna and I just had ice cream.”

 

“Okay,” Nicole says. “I’ll be back later. Call or text me if you need anything.”

 

When Nicole gets to Pop’s, Veronica and Betty are already waiting for her in their usual booth. She greets Pop, then goes and sits down.

 

“We already ordered for you, ‘Cole,” Veronica says. “Grilled cheese with a side of fries and a peanut butter banana milkshake.”

 

“Thank you, V, you guys know me well, eh?”

 

“Alright, so we didn’t just invite you here for food,” Betty tells her. “Ronnie has a great idea.”

 

Nicole leans back in the booth. “I’m listening.”

 

Veronica leans in closer. “Okay, so Pop told me that there used to be a secret speakeasy in the basement of this place so I was thinking that I could reopen it for us. We could all go there for a fun time, you know? It could be our place to get away.”

 

“A secret speakeasy, huh?” Nicole says, raising her eyebrows. “What’re your parents going to think of that?”

 

Veronica shrugs. “Doesn’t matter,” she replies. “I’m using my own money to do this and I, for one, think it’s a great idea.”

 

“I think it’s a great idea, too,” Nicole agrees, “but why do you need my opinion on it?”

 

“Because we want the Serpents to be the bouncers,” Betty tells Nicole. “Kind of like the protectors of the speakeasy, you know? Control who comes in and who doesn’t.”

 

“I’m all in for that, but shouldn’t you be talking to Jughead about this?” Nicole asks. “I mean, he is the Serpent King.”

 

“He’s already agreed,” Betty informs her, “but he wanted us to get your opinion. You know how much he values it.”

 

Nicole nods her head. “Okay, yeah, I’m in. Anything you need, the Serpents have your back, V.”

 

Veronica smiles. “Lunch is on me, ladies.”

 

When the finish having lunch, the three of them go to the Serpent Headquarters and discuss everything with them. Once everyone agrees, they decide to have a little celebration, which turns into a big celebration. There’s boos, music, and oh-so much kissing. It makes Nicole miss Waverly and it makes Toni miss Cheryl.

 

In the midst of everything going on, Toni manages to find Nicole. She decides to tell her right then and there, but that plan gets ripped apart at the seams because Nicole is drunk.

 

“Don’t you think you need to slow down on the beers, ‘Cole?” Toni questions. “It’s not even dark outside yet and you’re already plastered.”

 

“So what? It’s Saturday,” Nicole replies, “and we’re celebrating Ronnie.”

 

“What’s Waverly going to think?”

 

“She and Cheryl are watching a movie at Thistle House. Waves will be fine.”

 

“Okay,” Toni says. “When you’re ready to go home, I’m taking you so don’t even think about trying to get on your motorcycle.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Nicole grins. “Come dance with me?”

 

Toni laughs. “You’re lucky I love you.”

 

Eventually, after Nicole dances her ass off, drinks some more beer, and sings at the top of her lungs, she decides that it’s time to go home. She hugs Veronica, Betty, Jughead, and Archie before being lead outside by Toni. Toni drives her home and helps her inside.

 

“I’m home!” Nicole shouts as she stumbles through the door.

 

“Shhh,” Toni says, “not so loud.”

 

Nicole laughs loudly. “Oh,” she covers her mouth. “Quiet, right,” she whispers.

 

“What’s going on?” Cheryl asks as she walks into the entry-way, dressed in her pajamas. “I was just about to fall asleep.”

 

“Hey, Margo,” Nicole beams, trying to stand upright but failing completely. “Toni brought me home because I’m-“

 

“Drunk,” Cheryl finishes for her. “I can see that. Is that why you haven’t been texting me back?” She asks. She then gives Toni a look that says, “Is that why _you_ haven’t been texting me back either?”

 

“Cher-“ Toni tries, but she’s interrupted by Nicole.

 

“Don’t be mad, Margo,” Nicole says. “We had a fun time and it was nice to get away.”

 

Most of her words were slurred together, but Cheryl understands her, nonetheless. “C’mon, I’ll take you to your room.”

 

“Where’s Waves?” Nicole asks. “I’d rather have her take me to bed, if you know what I mean.” She makes an attempt to wiggle her eyebrows, but she falters and gives up.

 

“Gross,” Cheryl fake gags. “Waverly went home a couple of hours ago.”

 

Nicole pouts. “Toni, can you take me to her house?”

 

“I don’t think Ms. Earp will like that too much,” Toni tells her, “or your sister, for that matter.”

 

“I’m going to my room,” Nicole mumbles, “and, no, I don’t need help.”

 

Toni sighs. “Okay, but I’m coming to check on you in ten minutes.”

 

Once Nicole makes it up the stairs, Toni turns to Cheryl and reaches for her, but Cheryl backs away.

 

“Babe,” Toni tries, “I wasn’t planning on staying at the party that long, but Nicole refused to leave and I wasn’t going to leave her there.”

 

“I’m not mad that you went to a party,” Cheryl replies. “I’m mad because you weren’t replying to my texts. I didn’t know where you were or what you were doing, much less what Nicole was doing.”

 

“I know. I’m sorry, but I didn’t even think about checking my phone. I was too busy trying to make sure Nicole was in my line of sight. I think something’s up with her. She kept on drinking and drinking and drinking.”

 

Cheryl sighs. “She gets like this when she gets in her own head about things. Can you talk to her tomorrow and try to get her to open up?”

 

Toni nods her head. “Of course, babe.”

 

Cheryl leans into Toni. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you, too,” Toni replies. “I can stay for a little while, maybe make it up to you?”

 

“As tempting as that sounds,” Cheryl starts, pressing a kiss to Toni’s lips, “I don’t want a repeat of what happened a couple of weeks ago.”

 

Toni kisses Cheryl again. “Okay,” she pouts. “I’m going to go and check on her.”

 

“Okay, babe.”

 

When Toni gets to Nicole’s bedroom, Nicole is already half asleep, dressed in only boxers and a sports bra. “I’m fine, T. I think I’m about to hit hangover.”

 

Toni sits on the end of Nicole’s bed. “I’m worried about you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Nicole, it’s not like you to get drunk like that. The whole time we were there, I didn’t see you without a beer in your hand. Is something wrong?”

 

“I’m fine, Toni,” Nicole tries to assure her, but Toni catches the little crack in her voice. “I just want to sleep.”

 

“Nicole, I know you and I know there’s something wrong,” Toni pushes. She knows she should wait until tomorrow so that Nicole can get a full night’s rest, but she needs to know what’s bothering her now. “Please don’t push me away.”

 

“I’m not pushing you away, T,” Nicole says as she sits up in bed. She looks over at Jason’s hat sitting on top of her dresser.

 

Toni follows her line of sight and suddenly, everything makes sense. “You miss Jason,” she states softly.

 

Nicole nods. Her chin starts quivering and she tries to stop it, but she can’t. “It still doesn’t feel real that he’s gone, you know? Every day I wake up and I think that he’s still here, but he’s not.”

 

Toni scoots closer to Nicole and wraps an arm around her. “I’m so sorry, ‘Cole.”

 

Nicole leans her head on Toni’s shoulder and starts sobbing. “It felt so good to get away from my feelings for one night. I got to dance and sing and hug the people I love. I know it was stupid of me to let myself go like that, but I needed it.”

 

“It’s okay, I understand,” Toni says softly. She lays them down and holds Nicole close as she sobs. They both eventually fall asleep curled up into each other.

 

The next morning, Toni wakes up to Nicole’s bedroom door opening. Nicole is practically on top of her and cooing in her sleep. She’s clinging onto Toni for dear life with her face buried in the crook of her neck. This isn’t the first time they’ve slept like this. They did the same thing after Jason died, after Clifford died, and after Penelope left. It’s the nights when Nicole clings to Toni that makes Toni realize how much Nicole really need her.

 

“Hey,” Cheryl whispers, smiling softly at Toni.

 

Toni’s never seen someone so beautiful. The way the morning sun hits Cheryl’s face and makes her skin glow does something to Toni. Her soft, brown eyes are staring at her as if she’s the only person on this planet. That, _that_ is what makes this whole thing worth it — risking her friendship with Nicole, keeping this secret from her — it’s all worth it if Cheryl stares at her like that for the rest of eternity. But then Nicole starts moving and holds onto Toni even tighter, making Toni snap out of her haze.

 

“Hi,” Toni says softly, her voice drowning in sleep.

 

“Is she okay?” Cheryl asks, referring to her sister.

 

“I think so,” Toni replies. “We talked last night about…”

 

“About what?”

 

“Jason,” Toni tells her.

 

For a moment, Cheryl’s morning glow dims and Toni’s unable to read the thousands of emotions that flash across her face. It takes a minute, but Cheryl is able to blink away the tears and go back to her sun kissed daze. It’s like Toni just watched her turn on, then turn off her emotions. “Oh,” she says, “Is that why you stayed?”

 

“Yeah,” Toni replies. “Cheryl, she needs me…”

 

Cheryl nods. “I know.”

 

“Which is why we have to tell her,” Toni continues. “We can’t keep hiding this, hiding us from her.”

 

Cheryl nods again. “I know.”

 

“Do you want me to tell her alone?” Toni asks. “Because I can.”

 

“No,” Cheryl says, “I want to be there, too. We can tell her together.”

 

Nicole starts to stir in Toni’s arms before she opens her eyes and turns over. “You didn’t have to stay,” is the first thing she says to Toni.

 

“Good morning to you, too,” Toni replies, sarcasm evident in her voice.

 

Nicole blinks the sleep from her eyes. “No, that’s not what I…” she trails off. “I’m going to go take a shower.” She gets out of bed and walks by Cheryl. “Morning, Cher,” she says before placing a kiss on Cheryl’s temple.

 

“Morning, sis,” Cheryl smiles, leaning into Nicole’s kiss.

 

Once Nicole leaves the room, Toni opens her arms for Cheryl to crawl into. “C’mere.”

 

Cheryl shakes her head. “You know I can’t,” she tells her girlfriend. Toni shoots her a way too adorable look. “I’m not cuddling with you in my sister’s bed.”

 

Toni sits up. “Yeah, good call.”

 

“You guys seemed awfully comfortable together,” Cheryl points out.

 

Toni laughs softly. “Babe, it was the most innocent sleeping ever,” she assures her. “No need to be jealous.”

 

“I’m not-“

 

“You are,” Toni interrupts her before grabbing her arm and pulling her in for a kiss. Before their lips touch, though, Nicole’s door shoots open and in walks Nicole. They quickly pull away and try to act normal.

 

“I forgot my clothes,” she says. She didn’t even notice how close Cheryl and Toni’s faces were. “Toni, we have a Serpent’s meeting in, like, an hour.”

 

“I know,” Toni says.

 

“Okay,” Nicole replies. “You can wear some of my clothes. I have a pair of skinny jeans and a flannel you can put on.”

 

“Thanks, ‘Cole,” Toni smiles.

 

Nicole just nods before walking back out of her bedroom.

 

“We’ve gotta tell her,” Toni tells Cheryl. “I can’t keep hurting her.”

 

Cheryl reaches for Toni’s hand. “I know, babe.”

 

And she does know. She knows they can’t keep doing this. She doesn’t want to hurt her sister as much as Toni doesn’t want to hurt her best friend. It’s complicated, this situation. They just need to sit down, tell Nicole the truth, and pray that she takes it somewhat well.

 

 

 

 


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few tears make their way down Nicole’s face. “Why wouldn’t you guys just tell me?” She asks softly. She looks at Toni. “When did we start keeping secrets from each other?” 
> 
> “Nicole, we wanted to tell you,” Toni tries to assure her, “but we didn’t know how.” 
> 
> Nicole blows out a breath. “I need some air.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

For the first time awhile, Cheryl and Toni have some alone time together. Nicole told Cheryl that she was going to the gym with Archie to work on boxing, then they were going to go work on Veronica’s secret speakeasy. After hearing that, Cheryl immediately texted Toni to come over. That was all a few hours ago and the two of them are now laying in Cheryl’s bed, completely naked, after having a few hours of fun.

 

“That was nice,” Cheryl says, completely blissfully.

 

Toni nods, smiling. “It sure was.”

 

Cheryl rolls on top of Toni. “You up for another round?”

 

“Hey, Cheryl, do you know-“ the door bursts open and in walks Waverly. She stops mid-sentence when she sees Cheryl on top of Toni. “Holy mother of…”

 

Cheryl jumps off of Toni and gets under the covers. “Waverly, we can explain.”

 

“What in the hell is going on here?” Waverly asks, completely in shock. “Are you guys…? Since when have you…? Does Nicole…?”

 

“Nicole doesn’t know,” Cheryl tells Waverly. “Please don’t tell her.”

 

“Don’t tell me what?” They all hear Nicole say as she approaches Cheryl’s bedroom. “Waves, why are you-“ she stops talking when she sees Cheryl and Toni in bed together. “What’s this?”

 

“Nicky…” Cheryl tries, but she can’t find any words to say.

 

Nicole walks all the way into the room. “This had better not be what I think it is,” she says. “Toni, don’t tell me you just screwed my sister.”

 

“Nicole, let me-“ Toni tries, but Nicole cuts her off.

 

“Don’t fucking tell me that you just screwed my sister!” Nicole shouts as rage takes over her body. “Are you kidding me?!” She screams, her eyes burning with tears. “You piece of shit!”

 

“Nicole, stop!” Cheryl exclaims, trying to get her sister to calm down.

 

“How fucking dare you touch her!” Nicole shouts. “What’s wrong with you?!”

 

“Baby, please stop,” Waverly says as she walks over to Nicole.

 

Nicole ignores her. “How long has this been going on?!”

 

“A couple of months,” Cheryl tells her.

 

“A couple of months?!” Nicole repeats, raising her eyebrows. “You guys have been screwing each other behind my back for two months?!”

 

“Nicole, it’s more than that,” Cheryl says. “We’re dating. Toni’s my girlfriend.”

 

A few tears make their way down Nicole’s face. “Why wouldn’t you guys just tell me?” She asks softly. She looks at Toni. “When did we start keeping secrets from each other?”

 

“Nicole, we wanted to tell you,” Toni tries to assure her, “but we didn’t know how.”

 

Nicole blows out a breath. “I need some air.”

 

“Nicole…” Waverly reaches for her girlfriend, but Nicole pulls away before walking out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the door, slamming the door as she does so. Waverly looks at Toni and Cheryl. “I haven’t seen her that mad since she heard Reggie yelling at you, Cheryl.”

 

“I don’t know what to do,” Cheryl says. “I didn’t realize she was going to be this mad when she found out.”

 

“She probably would’ve taken it better if you guys would’ve told her. Instead, she had to find you guys in bed together,” Waverly points out.

 

Toni sighs. “I think we should go talk to her, Cher.”

 

“Give her a minute,” Waverly tells them. “She needs to cool off.”

 

Meanwhile, Nicole is outside, texting Archie.

 

_You up for a session at the gym? -NB_

 

_For sure. I can be there in ten. -AA_

 

Nicole gets on her motorcycle and speeds off. Once she gets to the gym, she takes her shirt off, leaving her in shorts and a sports bra. Archie is already in the ring, waiting for her.

 

“Why the sudden need for a session? I figured our session earlier was enough for today,” Archie says as she watches Nicole get into the ring.

 

“I just found out that my best friend and my sister are dating,” Nicole informs him. “Waverly and I caught them in bed together.”

 

“Oh, so you finally found out, eh?”

 

Nicole raises her eyebrows. “Wait, did you know about them?”

 

Archie nods. “In my defense, I was sworn to secrecy by Cheryl and you know how scary she can be.”

 

Nicole sighs. “It’s fine. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the situation, you know? Why couldn’t they have just told me?”

 

“Nicole, you and I both know how protective you are of Cheryl. I mean, you get mad when someone looks at her wrong,” Archie replies. “And you’re protective of Toni, too. Remember when you shoved me up against the lockers because she and I were arguing?”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Nicole agrees.

 

“I can see where they’re coming from. It’s your sister and your best friend. They’re both scared because they know how protective you are of both of them.”

 

Nicole leans against the ropes. “Exactly,” she says, “so what if Toni breaks Cheryl’s heart or visa versa? What am I gonna do then because I can’t choose between the two of them.”

 

“I’ve seen them together,” Archie tells her. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

 

Nicole looks down. “I know I shouldn’t be mad, but I am. They hid this from me for two months.”

 

“I think that you just need to talk to them,” Archie says. “No freaking out, no yelling — just talking.”

 

Nicole looks up. “You’re right,” she replies. “Let’s box now so I can get all of my anger out.”

 

Archie laughs softly. “Okay.”

 

When Nicole gets home after boxing with Archie, Toni and Cheryl are sitting on the couch. For a moment, she just stares at them. She looks at the way Cheryl is leaning into Toni; at the way Toni has her hand on Cheryl’s thigh; at the way Cheryl’s head fits perfectly in the crook of Toni’s neck; at the way Toni ever so softly places a kiss on Cheryl’s temple. In that moment, she’s perfectly at peace with them being an item, but then she hears a sound coming from the kitchen.

 

“Nicole, is that you?!” She hears Waverly call from the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, baby, it’s me!” Nicole calls back, not taking her eyes off of Toni and Cheryl. She finally looks away when Waverly walks into the entryway to greet her with a kiss. “Hi, you.”

 

“Hi,” Waverly grins and kisses her again. “You’re all sweaty. Did you box again?”

 

Nicole nods. “Had to get some anger out.”

 

Waverly glances at Toni and Cheryl, who are in their own, little world. “Toni was crying, you know?”

 

Nicole looks down. “She was?”

 

“She thinks she’s losing you,” Waverly tells her. “I heard her and Cheryl talking after you left.”

 

Nicole looks back up. “Waves, I don’t know what to do.”

 

“Nicole, they both need you,” Waverly says. “You can’t give up on them, not now; not ever. Is it really so bad that they like each other? It could be good for them.”

 

Nicole feels that burning again, the one in her eyes. She swallows hard. “I need some more air.”

 

She turns to walk away, but Waverly grabs her arm. “No more running, Nicole. You need to talk to them.”

 

“What am I supposed to say?”

 

“I don’t know,” Waverly replies, “but you had better figure it out.”

 

Nicole sighs before walking over to Toni and Cheryl. “Um,” she musters out, “Toni, can we talk?”

 

“Of course,” Toni says before getting up from the couch and following Nicole outside. Once they get out there, they turn towards each other. “Nicole, look-“

 

“Let me start,” Nicole interrupts her. “After Jason died, I vowed to myself that I would never let anyone come near or hurt Cheryl more than they already have. More so, I vowed to myself that I would protect her now more than ever. I vowed that after my father died and again after my mother left. No matter what I do, Cheryl keeps getting hurt. She deserves happiness, Toni, but she keeps getting hurt over and over again. I can’t allow that to keep happening.”

 

“Nicole, what makes you think I’m going to hurt her?” Toni asks, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Toni, I know you,” Nicole says. “You sleep around. I’ve never seen you in a relationship for longer than a week.”

 

“I’ve been with Cheryl for two months and we’re doing fine,” Toni tells her. “I know I’ve slept around a lot. You used to, too.”

 

“Do you know how much work it takes to keep a relationship going?” Nicole asks her. “It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There are bad days and even worse days than that. They’re all or nothing and a little in-between. There’s risks and fights and tears.”

 

“I know how relationships work,” Toni assures her. “I’ve never been in a serious one because I’ve never found someone worth being serious for, until Cheryl. She’s the most important person in my life, besides you. Gosh, Nicole, I can’t lose you. Please, don’t make me choose.”

 

Nicole feels tears streaming down her face. “If you hurt her-“

 

“I won’t,” Toni says immediately, cutting Nicole off. “I promise you I won’t.”

 

“Nicky, we’re happy,” They both hear Cheryl say from the doorway. “Please, let us be happy.”

 

Nicole looks at Cheryl. “How long have you been listening?”

 

Cheryl shrugs. “Long enough.”

 

“Look, you guys don’t need my permission to be together,” Nicole tells the both of them. “Am I hurt that you guys just didn’t tell me? Yeah, but I understand why you didn’t tell me. I know I have a temper, but you guys both have to realize that I’ve always been the protector.”

 

“I know, sis,” Cheryl replies. “Toni has been careful with my heart, and I have no doubt that she’ll take care of it. Please don’t think that I’m taking your best friend away from you because I’m not. She’s your best friend like Waverly is mine.”

 

“Fine,” Nicole caves, offering up a small smile. “I only have one request.”

 

“Which is?” Cheryl asks.

 

Nicole looks at Toni. “An evening with my best friend.”

 

“That can be arranged,” Toni smiles. “That is if it’s okay with you, babe?”

 

“Whipped,” Nicole coughs.

 

Cheryl laughs softly. “You don’t need my permission,” she tells Toni, “but, yes, you can go.”

 

“Let’s go, ‘Cole,” Toni says before walking over to Cheryl and kissing her. “We’ll be back before you go to sleep.”

 

“Wait, I have to ask Waverly,” Nicole says as she makes her way inside.

 

“Yeah, and I’m the whipped one,” Toni teases her.

 

 


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your girlfriend just told me that you want to join the Serpents and that you’ve been secretly helping them. Is that true?” 
> 
> “TT,” Cheryl glares at her girlfriend. 
> 
> “I’m sorry, babe. I was talking to Waverly about it and I didn’t know that Nicole was listening.” 
> 
> Cheryl looks at Nicole. “Yes, it’s true.” 
> 
> “Gosh, Cheryl, why?!” Nicole practically yells. “What’s with all of these secrets?! First you’re secretly dating my best friend behind my back and now this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! I'm apologizing in advance for the ending of this chapter.

Nicole often has trouble sleeping. Sometimes she wakes up in a puddle of sweat and other times she can’t shut her eyes. Tonight is one of those nights. She woke up in a puddle of sweat and is having trouble falling back asleep. Waverly is right beside her, softly cooing in her sleep. Nicole turns and looks at her. Her hair is sprawled out everywhere and she has dried drool on her chin, but it’s the most beautiful Nicole’s ever seen her.

 

Deciding that she’s not going to fall back asleep, Nicole gets out of bed. She’s careful not to wake Waverly. Once she successfully makes it out of the bed, she heads out of the room and down the stairs. She’s not expecting anyone else to be up, considering it’s two o’clock in the morning, however, when she gets downstairs, she sees Toni sitting on the couch.

 

“Toni?” Nicole questions softly. “What’re you doing awake?”

 

Toni shrugs. “Couldn’t sleep.”

 

“Same here,” Nicole replies before sitting down next to her. “Why can’t you sleep?”

 

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

 

“Like what?” Nicole asks, but Toni just looks away. “You’re shutting me out now? When did we start doing that?”

 

“I’m not shutting you out,” Toni tries to assure her. “I was just thinking about my parents.”

 

“Me, too,” Nicole admits. “Well, more so Jason.”

 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Toni asks her.

 

Nicole shakes her head. “Not really. You?”

 

“Nope,” Toni replies. “Wanna watch a movie?”

 

“For sure.”

 

Not even halfway into the movie, they passed out on the couch. Toni fell asleep sitting up with Nicole’s head resting on her shoulder while she slept. They both slept like babies, they always do when they’re with each other.

 

When Waverly wakes up, she goes to reach for Nicole, but is left gripping cold sheets. She should’ve excepted this because Nicole hardly ever stays in bed all night. She climbs out of bed and goes to Cheryl’s room to see if maybe she crawled in her bed, but she didn’t. All she sees is Cheryl under the covers. She makes her way downstairs and smiles when she sees Toni and Nicole cuddled up on the couch together. They’re both in boxers and a sports bra and tangled in each other. Waverly never gets jealous of this, never questions whether or not the two of them have feelings for each other because of the way they take care of each other — like they were made to do exactly that.

 

After taking a picture of them, Waverly decides to start making breakfast. She loves mornings like this, where they all get to just be. There’s no fighting, no cold shoulders — just love.

 

Toni wakes up to the smell of bacon. Nicole is still passed out and wrapped around her. She slowly untangles herself from Nicole’s grasp and gets off of the couch. A part of her regrets sleeping on the couch because her neck hurts and her back aches, but she knows it was worth it. Her best friend needed her and who was she to not comfort her?

 

She makes her way into the kitchen and smiles when she sees Waverly making French Toast and dancing to the melody coming from the radio. “You’ve gotta teach me your moves.”

 

Waverly jumps. “Toni, you scared the crap out of me.”

 

Toni laughs softly. “What’s on the menu?”

 

“French Toast, eggs, and bacon.”

 

“Need any help?” Toni asks.

 

“No, I’m good,” Waverly says. “What happened last night?”

 

Toni furrows her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

 

“You and Nicole only ever sleep like that when something’s up,” Waverly points out. “Is she okay?”

 

“She will be,” Toni replies. “You know how she gets. She thinks she has to protect and take care of everyone, but who’s going to protect and take care of her?”

 

“We are,” Waverly tells her, “quietly and from a distance.”

 

Toni sighs. “I’m worried about her. She’s been sleeping less and less ever since she found out about Cheryl and me.”

 

“She’s past that,” Waverly says. “She’s just been struggling with her feelings lately. She needs you, though, Toni. You can’t disappear on her.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Toni assures Waverly. “I just wish that I could get through to her. She holds so much in and she only lets a little bit out at a time.”

 

“Trust me, I know,” Waverly agrees. “Maybe the two of you should spend the day together, like you used to do on the weekends. Ride your motorcycles, go to Sugar Lake, and get milkshakes from Pop’s.”

 

Toni nods. “Yeah, I think we both need that,” she says, “but Cheryl and I need to have a talk with her first.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Cheryl wants to join the Serpents,” Toni tells Waverly. “Jughead has been talking to her on the down low since she’s been secretly helping us with some missions.”

 

“She has?” Waverly questions. “Does Nicole know about that?”

 

Toni shakes her head. “No, but Cheryl really wants to become a South Side Serpent.”

 

“Cheryl wants to what?” Nicole asks from the entrance of the kitchen. “Please tell me I did not just hear you say that my sister wants to join the Serpents.”

 

“Shit,” Toni mutters underneath her breath. She turns and faces Nicole. “Good morning, ‘Cole.”

 

“Don’t ‘good morning, ‘Cole’ me,” Nicole says. “Cheryl isn’t joining the Serpents and that’s the end of the discussion.”

 

“Nicole-“ Toni tries.

 

“End of discussion,” Nicole cuts her off. “I’m gonna go for a run.”

 

“No, you’re not,” Waverly intervenes. “Nicole, we talked about this. You can’t run every time you get pissed off.”

 

“Waverly, please stay out of this,” Nicole says harshly. “This is between my sister and me.”

 

“The hell it is,” Toni replies. “This is a discussion we’re all going to have together. If Cheryl wants to join the Serpents, she can. She’s already been helping on the side.”

 

“She’s been doing what?” Nicole asks, raising her eyebrows. She runs to the end of the stairwell. “Cheryl Marjorie Blossom, get your ass down here!”

 

“Goodness, Nicole, why do you have to fly off of the handle every time Cheryl tries to do something for herself?” Toni asks, already annoyed with Nicole. “She’s her own person, you know? You can’t control everything she does.”

 

“Don’t cross me right now, Topaz,” Nicole says angrily. “Cheryl!”

 

Cheryl comes rushing down the stairs in her robe. “What’s going on?”

 

“Your girlfriend just told me that you want to join the Serpents and that you’ve been secretly helping them. Is that true?”

 

“TT,” Cheryl glares at her girlfriend.

 

“I’m sorry, babe. I was talking to Waverly about it and I didn’t know that Nicole was listening.”

 

Cheryl looks at Nicole. “Yes, it’s true.”

 

“Gosh, Cheryl, why?!” Nicole practically yells. “What’s with all of these secrets?! First you’re secretly dating my best friend behind my back and now this!”

 

“Nicole, please don’t get mad,” Cheryl says.

 

“I’m already mad!” Nicole shouts. “You’re not joining the Serpents!”

 

“Why not?” Cheryl asks, raising her eyebrows. “I’m fully capable of being a Serpent.”

 

“I’m sure you are, but it’s not happening,” Nicole tells her. “I joined the Serpents so I could protect you, Cheryl.”

 

“I can protect myself, Nicole.”

 

“No, you can’t!”

 

“Yes, I can.”

 

“Fine, go and get yourself killed!” Nicole screams, her eyes glossing over with tears. She takes a deep breath as tears start making their way down her face. “Just like Jason did.”

 

“That’s not fair,” Cheryl says. “You can’t just-“

 

Nicole brushes past her and goes up to her room. After she puts some clothes on, she storms back downstairs and out of the door. She gets on her motorcycle and drives to Jughead Jones’ house.

 

When she gets there, she pounds on the door. As soon as he answers, she shoves him back. “What were you thinking?!”

 

“What?” Jughead asks.

 

“Letting Cheryl help the Serpents?! Are you stupid?! She could’ve gotten hurt!”

 

“Cheryl told me that you knew,” Jughead defends himself. “And she helped us out a lot.”

 

“You had better fix this, Jones,” Nicole says through gritted teeth. “If she gets hurt, it’s on you.” With that, she leaves and heads back home. “Who, Cheryl?!” She asks as soon as she walks through the door of Thistle House. “Who have you been helping us defeat?!”

 

“Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies,” Cheryl admits. “Jughead needed help spying on them so I offered to help.”

 

“Penny Peabody?!” Nicole yells. “Do you have any idea what she’s capable of?!”

 

“I know how she works, Nicole,” Cheryl tries to assure her sister. “But last week, she caught me spying and said she’s out for my blood. I told Jughead and he’s been protecting me from her. We’ve got it figured out.”

 

“No, you don’t!” Nicole shouts. “Gosh, Cheryl, you’re going to cause a war and get yourself hurt!”

 

“The Serpents have my back, Nicole,” Cheryl says. “I thought you did, too.”

 

“Of course I have your back, Cheryl,” Nicole tells her. “But I’m not going to stand back while you put yourself in danger. You can’t mess with Penny Peabody. It’s like throwing gasoline on a fire.”

 

“I’m not going to let her get hurt, Nicole,” Toni says. “I’ve done a damn good job protecting her all week. Penny’s after the Serpents now more than ever. We need Cheryl with us to defeat her.”

 

“No, we don’t,” Nicole argues. “What we need is to invade Penny’s campout, let her know not to mess with the Serpents or who the Serpents love.”

 

“I already told Jughead that,” Toni replies. “He said it was a bad idea and that we just need to ride it out until Penny gets bored.”

 

“Penny doesn’t get bored,” Nicole tells her. “She’ll be on our asses until she kills every last one of us, including my sister and my girlfriend.”

 

“If we invade her campout, it’ll cause a war,” Toni says. “We don’t have enough Serpents for that.”

 

“Well, what do you suggest we do, Toni?” Nicole asks. “Because Cheryl is in danger, which means we’re all in danger.”

 

“I think we should do exactly what Jughead said,” Toni says. “We can’t go into a losing fight. We’ll all die.”

 

“Well, God only knows what Penny is planning,” Nicole replies. “I need time to think. I’m going to go on a motorcycle ride.”

 

“Nicole, you haven’t eaten yet,” Waverly says.

 

“I’m not hungry,” Nicole tells her. “Toni, keep an eye on them for me, okay? I’m going to fix this.”

 

“What do you mean you’re going to fix this?” Cheryl asks.

 

Nicole grabs her South Side Serpents leather jacket and puts it on. “I mean exactly that,” she says before walking out of the door. She drives off on her motorcycle and drives towards Penny Peabody’s campout.

 

“Well, well, well,” Penny says when Nicole walks up to the campout. “What do we have here?”

 

“I heard you’re out for my sister’s blood,” Nicole says.

 

“Well, her blood and Serpent blood,” Penny replies. “I caught her spying on us. Did she really think she was slick enough to do that?”

 

“Cut her some slack, she’s naive when it comes to gangs,” Nicole tells her. “This is between us now. You want Serpent blood, you’ve got it.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“You said you want Cheryl’s blood and Serpent blood,” Nicole starts. “Well, I’ve got both in me.”

 

“You came to sacrifice yourself?” Penny asks.

 

Nicole nods. “I’m sacrificing the one for the many,” she says. “I’m doing this so you’ll leave my sister and the Serpents alone for good.”

 

Penny contemplates the idea. “You heard her, boys. End her.”

 

The last thing Nicole remembers is thinking about Waverly and how beautiful she is — the way she kisses her and makes her feel complete. And Cheryl, her sense of fashion and compassion. Then Toni, her best and greatest friend. She’d do anything for the three of them. That’s when everything goes black and all her pain is gone.

 

“Have you heard from Nicole? It’s been hours,” Toni asks Waverly.

 

Waverly shakes her head. “She hasn’t texted me back since she left and she’s not answering my calls.”

 

“Dammit,” Toni mutters. “I’m calling Jughead. Maybe she went over there.” She grabs her phone and dials Jughead’s number. “Jughead,” she says when he answers. “Have you heard from Nicole?” She asks. “No, she’s not answering her phone,” she says. “She found out about Cheryl and the Penny Peabody situation,” she tells him. “I don’t know. The last thing she said before she left was that she was going to fix this,” she says. “Wait, Jughead, you don’t think that she…” She trails off. “Okay, yeah, I’ll meet you there.”

 

“What’s going on?” Cheryl asks.

 

“I’m not sure yet, but I’m going over to Jughead’s,” Toni tells her girlfriend. “You guys stay here. I’ll be back soon.” She kisses Cheryl goodbye, waves a goodbye to Waverly, then leaves. She’s not going to Jughead’s, though. She’s meeting him at the forest that surrounds Penny Peabody’s campout. When she gets there, Jughead is waiting for her.

 

“I’m going to go look for her,” Jughead tells her. “Fangs and Sweet Pea are on their way. Stay here and wait for them.”

 

“Okay,” Toni nods. “Be careful.”

 

The minutes Toni is left waiting for Jughead to come back feel like hours. Eventually, Fangs and Sweet Pea show up, prepared to do anything for Nicole. They’re all left waiting there, though, outside of the forest. The sun starts to set and they’re becoming anxious. Just as Sweet Pea starts to say that he’s going in, they all see Jughead making his way out of the forest. He’s not alone, though. He’s carrying a lifeless Nicole covered in blood.

 

Toni thinks she stops breathing and all time slows down. Just like that, her world is turned upside down. Her knees become weak and she falls to the ground, screaming Nicole’s name.

 

 


	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The image of Jughead carrying Nicole’s lifeless body out of the woods is forever graved into Toni’s mind. It’s been almost a whole day and she can’t see anything else. The image, the scene of it all, is on repeat in her head. This hospital has been her bed, her home since last night and she’ll stay here forever if it means getting Nicole back. 
> 
> Having to make the call to Cheryl was the worst thing. She recalls hearing the ringing, the moment of white noise before she had to break it to her girlfriend that Nicole was barely, if not at all, alive. Gosh, Cheryl’s cries are echoing in her head. That pain, the tears have her ears ringing. 
> 
> She doesn’t even remember getting to the hospital. All she can remember is Fangs pulling her off of the cold, dewy ground and holding her in his arms. She couldn’t breathe then and she’s not sure if she’s breathing now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Two chapters in one day? Enjoy!

The image of Jughead carrying Nicole’s lifeless body out of the woods is forever graved into Toni’s mind. It’s been almost a whole day and she can’t see anything else. The image, the scene of it all, is on repeat in her head. This hospital has been her bed, her home since last night and she’ll stay here forever if it means getting Nicole back.

 

Having to make the call to Cheryl was the worst thing. She recalls hearing the ringing, the moment of white noise before she had to break it to her girlfriend that Nicole was barely, if not at all, alive. Gosh, Cheryl’s cries are echoing in her head. That pain, the tears have her ears ringing.

 

She doesn’t even remember getting to the hospital. All she can remember is Fangs pulling her off of the cold, dewy ground and holding her in his arms. She couldn’t breathe then and she’s not sure if she’s breathing now.

 

There’s dried blood on her shirt — Nicole’s blood. It was everywhere and it absorbed Toni. She had grabbed Nicole’s face and tried shaking her awake. She was begging, praying, and shouting into the void, hoping that her calls for help would be heard. Jughead was yelling at her to get back, to give Nicole some space, but she knew that he was just trying to protect her. Nicole didn’t need space, she needed a hospital filled with doctors.

 

The ambulance’s flashing lights were bright in the pale moonlight. They blinded Toni, more so than tears already did. Everything after that moment was a blur. The EMT’s running toward Jughead and Nicole, them loading her onto a gurney, and putting her into the back of the ambulance before driving off.

 

Toni’s on her fifth coffee of the day. She stayed up all night, waiting for Nicole to get out of surgery. Her injuries were worse than they thought. She had broken ribs, a broken hand, and internal bleeding. She’s in the ICU now and they’re all waiting for her to wake up.

 

Toni’s been frozen at Nicole’s bedside. She refuses to move. She’s been sitting here for hours, ever since Nicole got out of surgery in the early hours of the night. She’s been watching Nicole’s breathing, making sure her chest rises and falls like it’s supposed to. Every now and again, she places her hand on Nicole’s heart in order to make sure it’s really beating and that the machine isn’t lying to her.

 

Cheryl hasn’t stopped crying since she found out. When she’s not hysterically crying, she’s sitting silently while tears stream down her face. She can’t go through this again; she can’t take another loss. Her father and Jason dying was enough, not to mention her mother’s absence. She’s lost so much in her seventeen years of living, she’ll be damned if she loses another person she cares about.

 

Waverly has been suffering in silence. She hasn’t talked much since they got to the hospital. She’s just been sitting and waiting; waiting for more news from the doctors; waiting for Nicole to show signs that she’s going to be okay; waiting for the darkness she sees to turn to light. She’s not sure when that’ll be, or if that’ll ever be because Nicole’s body is barely hanging on.

 

“Toni, I think you need to go home, shower, and get some new clothes on,” Jughead tells her. He’s been here all night, too, along with Betty and Archie. The nurses told them that they had to leave, that there couldn’t be this many people in the ICU room, but they all refused to leave. After a well put up fight, the nurses finally gave up and let them be. “You’ve still got blood on you.”

 

Toni barely hears him. For a moment, she’s not sure he even said anything. But then Cheryl’s hand is on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. “I think he’s right, babe. I think a shower and a nap would be good for you.”

 

Toni shakes her head, tears building up in her eyes. She won’t cry, not here, not when Cheryl is right behind her. She has to be strong for her. “I’m fine,” she says. “I’m not tired.”

 

“Can you at least get a change of clothes?” Cheryl asks softly. “And maybe eat some food? You can’t survive on just coffee.”

 

Toni sighs. She knows Cheryl is right, but she’s not concerned about herself right now. She’s concerned about Nicole, who is fighting for her life. “Betty, can you go to Thistle House and grab me some clothes?”

 

Betty, who is sitting on the couch with Waverly asleep on her shoulder, nods. “Of course, T. Do you guys want me to stop at Pop’s and get some burgers?”

 

Toni shakes her head, but Cheryl nods. “Yeah, that’ll be good,” she replies. “Thank you, Cousin Betty.”

 

“I’ll go with you,” Jughead says, standing up from the chair he was sitting on. “I need some air anyway,” he adds. He turns to Cheryl. “We shouldn’t be long. Keep me updated?”

 

“I will,” Cheryl promises. “Careful not to wake Waves, Betty. She needs to sleep.”

 

Betty slowly stands up, making Waverly stir before she falls back asleep. She and Jughead leave, leaving Archie, Cheryl, Waverly, and Toni the only ones in the room.

 

“Ronnie is on her way,” Archie tells them. “She was going to come last night, but her flight from New York got delayed.”

 

When one of the nurses comes into check on Nicole and put more medicine in her IV, she asks them if they need anything.

 

“More coffee,” Toni requests before finishing off the one in her hand. “Actually just bring up two more please.”

 

“Of course, ma’am,” the nurse replies. “The doctor will be in soon to check on her.”

 

“Toni, I think you’ve had enough coffee,” Cheryl says, but Toni completely ignores her. “Babe, are you even hearing me?”

 

“Cheryl, can you not right now?” Toni asks, the lack of sleep catching up with her. “I do hear you, but I’m not listening. I’m getting a change of clothes like you wanted. Can’t that be enough right now?”

 

Cheryl swallows hard and clenches her jaw. “Yeah, it can,” she says, her voice wavering. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a walk.”

 

“Cheryl…” Toni tries, but she figures it’s no use. She didn’t mean to upset her, but all she wants is some space right now so, instead of asking Cheryl to stay, she lets her go. The nurse comes back into the room with her two coffees and leaves again.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Archie asks Toni, but Toni shakes her head. “Why don’t we go outside for a minute and get some air?” He suggests.

 

Toni sighs. “Dammit, Archie, I don’t want air,” she snaps at him. “All I want is for my best friend to wake up, but the odds of that are slim to none.”

 

“The doctors will fix her, Toni,” Archie says, trying to give her some hope. “They had to put her in a medically induced a coma because of the bleeding in her brain. They’re trying to slow it down so they can operate.”

 

“There are many complications that can occur, Archie,” Toni tells him before taking a drink of her coffee. “There’s a chance that after all of this, she won’t wake up.”

 

“You can’t think like that,” Archie says. “Nicole needs us now more than ever and we can have to think positively.”

 

“You don’t think I know that?” Toni asks. “I know we have to stay positive, but that’s pretty damn hard when my best friend is fighting for her life.”

 

The doctors have explained it to her a thousand times. They’re putting her in a medically induced a coma to slow down the bleeding that way they can go in and stop it. They’ve also said that there are many complications that can occur. Nicole could lose her memory, her ability to talk or see, and even worse, she could die.

Her life is in danger all because of Penny Peabody and her stupid Ghoulies. It’s also in danger because Toni was stupid enough to allow Cheryl to help out the South Side Serpents. If she wouldn’t have done that, Penny would have never been out for Cheryl’s blood, and Nicole would never have sacrificed herself. It was a domino effect, this situation. It is all stemmed off of one stupid mistake.

 

“I know you’re hurting,” Archie says softly, careful not to stir Toni’s emotions. “I know all you want to do is sit in this room and stare at Nicole until she wakes up, but you’ve got other people to take care of. Cheryl needs you. Hell, Waverly needs you. You’re pushing them away, Toni. How is that fair?”

 

Toni’s chin starts quivering. She contemplates letting herself cry, letting herself give into all of the emotions she’s been feeling, but she doesn’t succumb. Instead, she swallows the burning in her throat and holds back a sob. “What do you want me to do, Archie? I don’t know what to do; I don’t know what to say. It’s just easier to sit here and wait.”

 

“You need to go talk to Cheryl,” Archie tells her. “She’s just trying to help you and you’re closing yourself off. It’s her sister lying on that bed, for goodness sake, and she’s already lost her brother. How do you think she’s feeling?”

 

Toni takes a deep breath. Archie’s right, she needs to go and check on her girl. She needs to hold her and tell her that everything’s going to be okay, but how is she going to do that when she doesn’t even know if that’s true? She can’t lie to Cheryl, she can’t give her false hope. Their worlds are crumbling and colliding.

 

Something takes over, though, because she suddenly doesn’t want to just sit and wait anymore. She thinks it’s love, this feeling of needing to go find Cheryl and hold her until everything is right again. The truth is, she’s been feeling this way for awhile now. The word has been on the edge of her tongue, threatening to dive off at any given moment. Maybe love is just a shout into the void, and if that’s true, she’d gladly shout it every second of the day until her last breath. She loves Cheryl, loves her brown eyes and the fire that lies within them; she loves that red hair, so long and beautiful; she loves the way Cheryl looks at her, as if she’s the only thing worth fighting for in this world; she loves the way her name slips off of Cheryl’s tongue like it was made to do just that; mostly, though, she loves who she is around Cheryl. She’s the best version of herself around Cheryl, not because Cheryl wants her to be but because Cheryl inspires her to be that way. That, _that_ is love, if she’s ever felt it.

 

“I’m going to go look for her,” Toni says. She gets up and sets her coffee down. “Will you…?” She trails off, motioning toward Nicole.

 

“Yeah, I’ve got her,” Archie assures her. “Go get your girl.”

 

Toni rushes out of the room before her mind catches up with her body. She’s not even sure where to look for Cheryl, but she’ll search this whole damn hospital until she finds her. She looks a mess, she knows she does. Her hair hasn’t been brushed, her eyes have bags around them, her clothes are blood-stained, and she’s running on only caffeine and adrenaline.

 

Eventually, she finds Cheryl sitting on a bench outside of the hospital. Toni stops and stares for a moment, takes all of Cheryl and her beauty in. The sun is beating on her fiery, red hair something fierce and her brown eyes that hold so much fear and sadness are glistening in the light. Cheryl is completely and utterly beautiful inside and out, despite what other people may think. In the midst of all of this chaos, Toni smiles because the beautiful, driven girl sitting on the bench with a broken heart is hers. Her heart swells — she’s in love.

 

Toni makes her way up to Cheryl. Cheryl notices her, but she doesn’t say anything. Toni takes the liberty of sitting next to her and places a hand on her thigh. They sit there for a few beats, letting the cars passing by and the faint noise of people talking fill the silence.

 

“Nicole and I met on the playground in first grade,” Toni starts, looking off into the distance. She’s not sure if Cheryl’s listening or if she’s completely tuning her out. Either way, though, she’s going to keep talking. “I was swinging and she was going down the slide, but our paths crossed when I decided that the slide looked so much more fun than the swing. She showed me numerous ways to go down the slide. I thought there was only one way to go, but she proved me wrong,” she continues. “From that day on, we were inseparable. I didn’t meet you and Jason until a few months after that day, when Nicole invited me over to her house for the first time. You know, Nicole protected you even way back then. I remember she told me that if I were to ever hurt you, she’d stop being friends with me.” She turns and looks at Cheryl, who is looking down at her hands. “When we were in fifth grade, Nicole asked me to marry her.” She laughs at the memory. They were just two young, naive kids who were both in need of love. “I told her that we were too young, but if she were to ask me when we were older, I’d say yes,” she says. “But the next year, when we were in middle school, she fell in love with Waverly. You can only imagine my heartache when she told me that we could never get married because her heart belongs to Waverly.” She feels her eyes start to burn as her surrounding become blurry. “I’ve never been in love with Nicole, but I do love her. She was made for Waverly the way you were made for me,” she tells Cheryl. “Because you were, Cheryl. You were made for me,” she goes on. “I’ve never been in love, but I’m in love with you.” Tears make their way down her face as she finally lets her facade dissolve. She looks at Cheryl and sees the way her chin is quivering.

 

After what seems like forever, Cheryl looks at her. Those brown eyes that were once filled with fear and sadness are filled with what Toni thinks is love. “When JJ died, I was filled with this distilled hate for the world that I’d never experienced before,” Cheryl tells her. “Then my father died, and that hate came back, twice as powerful. Not too long after that, my mother left. By that time, I figured that my life would only consist of darkness with some light that Nicole provided for me,” she admits. “But then you kissed me and I saw stars. It was like the sun finally shone after being surrounded by clouds for far too long. You’re my light, TT — you, Nicole, and Waverly,” she says. “I love you.”

 

Toni smiles through her tears and leans into kiss the woman she loves. The kiss is soft but passionate. It’s everything they need and more. When they pull away, Cheryl leans into Toni. “I’m sorry about earlier. I’m just stressed about Nicole, but I know that’s not an excuse.”

 

“It’s okay,” Cheryl assures her. “We’ve all got our own way of dealing with pain.”

 

“No matter what happens with Nicole, I want you to know that you’re never going to be alone ever again,” Toni promises Cheryl. “I won’t let that happen, okay? I’ve got you now.”

 

Cheryl kisses the skin on Toni’s neck. “I know,” she says blissfully. “I’ve fallen all in you, TT.”

 

Toni snaps a picture of this moment inside of her head and stores it somewhere safe. “Betty and Jughead will be back soon. I think we should go back upstairs.”

 

“A few more minutes,” Cheryl says, snuggling further into Toni. “Just hold me for a few more minutes.”

 

Toni does exactly that. She holds her until she starts dosing off. That’s when they decide that it’s time to go back inside. When they get back up to the room, Waverly is awake and talking to Archie.

 

“Have the doctors said anything yet?” Toni asks, immediately going back to her spot by Nicole’s bedside.

 

Archie nods. “The neurosurgeon said that the bleed is slowing, but it’s going to take a few days to slow down enough for them to operate. We’re playing the waiting game now.”

 

Cheryl sighs. “All we’ve been doing is waiting,” she says. “Gosh, I shouldn’t have been such an idiot. I should’ve left well enough alone.”

 

“Hey, now,” Archie says, “you can’t blame yourself, Cheryl. No one’s to blame besides Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies. No one did this to her besides them.”

 

No one’s sure what to say until Jughead, Betty, and Veronica walk into the room. Betty’s got a change of clothes for Toni and Jughead is holding a bag of hamburgers in his hand.

 

“We all need to eat,” Jughead tells them. “Toni, you need to drink something other than coffee. I asked the nurses to bring in some water.”

 

“Thanks, Jug,” Toni says. Betty hands her the clothes. “Thank you, B,” she smiles. “I’m going to go change real quick. This blood is starting to smell.”

 

“Starting to?” Archie jokes, making everyone laugh. Honestly, they all needed a little lightheartedness after the last twenty-four hours they’ve had.

 

After Toni changes and the nurses bring in water for all of them, they all show down on some burgers. Everything may not be okay right now, but at least they’ve got each other. Whatever happens with Nicole, they’ll get through it together. Just a few more days and the doctors can operate, then everything will be as it should be, or so they hope.

 

 

 


	6. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Here's another chapter for you. Enjoy!

The small couch in Nicole’s hospital room has become Toni and Cheryl’s bed. It’s been a few days since this whole ordeal happened and, thankfully, the bleeding in Nicole’s brain has slowed down even more, which means they can operate soon. Toni and Cheryl hardly leave Nicole’s side. School has become a distant thought and their friends stop by as much as they can. Waverly has been sleeping in the chair next to Nicole’s bed. Toni has offered again and again to switch her, but Waverly refuses.

 

It’s hard, this waiting. That’s all they do all day long — eat hospital food, drink coffee, and wait. They try to have conversations, but most, if not all, of them die out and they’re left in the silence that the waiting brings. It should be comforting hearing Nicole’s breathing, but it’s not. It’s just a reminder that, when they operate, there’s a likelihood that she might not wake up.

 

These past few days have been hard. They barely get any sleep, they barely eat, and they barely talk. They’re on a first name bases with the nurses, who have been nothing but supportive in this time. They asked who Nicole’s next of kin was, and they explained that it was Nana Rose, who wouldn’t be able to come due to her own health reasons.

 

Cheryl is practically glued to Toni’s side. They’ve been inseparable ever since their exchange of ‘I love you’s.’ Well, it’s somewhat because of that. Honestly, the main reason is because of the whole situation. They find comfort in each other, a solace, if you will.

 

Waverly, though, doesn’t have anyone’s shoulder to lay her head on. She has Toni and Cheryl, but they’re almost always in each other’s arms. When Veronica or Betty come to the hospital, though, she finds a sense of comfort in them. She’s even found a sense of comfort in Archie, who has actually stayed with her a couple of the nights. It’s nice to have someone hold her and she always tries to imagine it’s Nicole’s arms wrapped around her.

 

Waverly had Betty bring her some of Nicole’s clothing. Not because Nicole needed it, but because she did. Nicole’s flannels smelled like french lavender and everything Nicole. When no one was there to hold her, she put on one of Nicole’s flannels, that way it was like Nicole had her arms wrapped around her. That thought alone was more comforting than anything.

 

Toni has tried to stop sulking in doubt and uncertainty. It’s been working somewhat, but sometimes she lacks positivity and succumbs to the negativity. That’s when Cheryl steps in and talks her down, eases her out of her own brain.

 

A few of the Serpents have stopped by, mostly Sweat Pea and Fangs, though. F.P., though retired, even stopped in. They all complimented Nicole on her braveness. Is that what they’re calling it? Brave? Nicole was brave to walk into those woods, march up to Penny Peabody, and sacrifice herself? To Waverly, that wasn’t bravery — that was downright stupidity. She had told them that, too. She shouted it until Toni ushered her out of the room and held her while she cried.

 

Cheryl has taken to the silence. She finds it peaceful, more peaceful than listening to forced conversation. For the first time ever, she and Waverly have nothing to talk about. They try to talk, but all of their conversations end up being about Nicole. It’s almost like their friendship is falling apart at the seams because of the situation they’re in. Cheryl thought that this incident would bring them closer, set some perspective for them, but it hasn’t. If anything, she’s never felt more disconnected from Waverly than she does right now.

 

It’s the early hours of the morning and Cheryl and Waverly are fast asleep, while Toni is wide awake. She doesn’t sleep much, maybe two to three hours on a good night. She spends her time glued to the side of Nicole’s bed, watching her every breath. When no one else is awake, she’ll grab Nicole’s hand and hold it as she lets tears fall from her eyes. This night is no different. She’s got Nicole’s hand in hers as she cries.

 

“I’m trying to be strong for them,” Toni says softly. She talks to Nicole all the time, on the off chance that she might actually be able to hear her. “It’s so hard, Nicole, being without you. I know you’re still here, but it’s almost like you’re not,” she continues. “They say this medically induced a coma is working and I’m hoping and praying that’s true,” she adds. “Because I need you here with me, Nicole. I’m sorry if that’s selfish, but it’s the truth. I keep imagining this world without you in it and that’s not a world I want to live in.” She takes a deep breath before bringing Nicole’s hand up to her mouth and placing a gentle kiss on it. “Do you remember the first time you kissed me on the forehead?” She asks, placing Nicole’s hand back on her heart. “We were in middle school. It was right after you told me that you could never marry me because your heart belongs to Waverly,” she says, smiling softly. “I guess you saw the disappointment on my face because you leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. I asked you why you did that and you smiled and said, ‘I may not ever be able to marry you, but I will always kiss you on your forehead to remind you how much I love you. Waverly may be the love of my life but you’re my soulmate.’” More tears fall down Toni’s cheeks and land on the corners of her mouth. They taste like salt and misery. “You’re my soulmate, Nicole. That’s why I need you to live. I need you; Waverly needs you; Cheryl needs you.”

 

“Toni?” Cheryl calls out her name, her voice drowning in sleep.

 

“Go back to sleep, babe,” Toni tells her. She puts Nicole’s hand back on the hospital bed and wipes the tears off of her face.

 

“I’m cold,” Cheryl says. “Why’d you get up?”

 

Toni shrugs. “I couldn’t sleep.”

 

“Will you come hold me?” Cheryl asks.

 

Toni gets up from the chair she’s been sitting in and walks over to the couch. “C’mere,” she says as she gets on the couch. The last thing she remembers before succumbing to sleep is Cheryl wrapping herself completely around her.

 

She wakes up to Jughead’s voice. When she opens her eyes, she’s met with Jughead sitting at Nicole’s bedside. Cheryl and Waverly are gone and Toni thinks they went to go get coffee or something. She sits up and stretches, this couch isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world.

 

“Jughead?” She questions, her voice raspy.

 

Jughead turns and faces her. “Hey, Toni.”

 

“What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school?” She asks. She blinks a few times in order to get her eyes to adjust to the light coming in from the window.

 

“I did go to school,” he tells her. “As a matter of fact, school got out roughly fifteen minutes ago.”

 

Toni furrows her eyebrows. “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon? I slept the entire day?”

 

Jughead nods. “You needed it,” he says. “You haven’t been sleeping.”

 

“Where are Cheryl and Waverly?” She asks before getting off of the couch.

 

“They went outside to get some air,” he informs her. “The neurosurgeon came in.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“They’re taking Nicole to surgery later this afternoon.”

 

Finally, they’re getting somewhere. No more waiting, except for the waiting while Nicole’s in surgery. She knows that this is good news, but she can’t help the aching in her heart that comes along with it. Nicole’s going to surgery, but will she make it out? If she does, will she wake up? There’s so many what if’s and complications that could happen. It makes Toni’s breath catch in her throat.

 

“The waiting room is going to be filled,” Jughead says. “The Serpents are coming and so is Veronica, Betty, Archie, Kevin, Josie, Reggie, and even my dad.”

 

“Are we allowed to have that many people in the waiting room?”

 

“If not, we’ll riot,” Jughead deadpans.

“I need coffee,” Toni says. “Will you keep and eye on her while I pop out for a minute?”

 

Jughead nods. “Of course, T.”

 

The hours following that moment were long. Jughead was right, everyone he listed showed up after Nicole was taken to surgery. Before she was, though, Cheryl, Toni, and Waverly all got a moment alone with her. They didn’t want to think of it as a goodbye, but that thought did linger in their head. Their talks were emotional, tear-filled, and sorrowful.

 

Waverly went first, trembling as she did so. She just held Nicole’s hand and cried. She said, “I love you,” a countless amount of times. “You’ve got to fight, baby,” she had told Nicole. “I know you’ve got some fight left in you. I need you to push through this, okay? You’re strong, Nicole. You’re the toughest person I know,” she had said. “Now’s the time to prove it.”

 

Cheryl went second. She didn’t even want to go, but she never got the chance to say goodbye to Jason. She knew she’d regret it if she didn’t at least say something to Nicole. At first, she was speechless so she just started at her triplet — her strong, protective triplet. “Don’t you die on me,” she had said. “I already lost Jason, I can’t lose you, too. I know I told you that I can protect myself, but that’s not true. I need you to protect me like you always have,” she had continued. Her eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to spill out at any given moment. “I love you, Nicky. Don’t leave me please.”

 

Toni went last. She had already gotten everything off of her chest earlier that day, but she took the time to memorize everything about Nicole, from her red hair to her oddly shaped toes. She got lost in Nicole’s beauty because Nicole is beautiful. All of the Blossom children are, even Jason was. There’s something about their fiery, red hair and their soft, brown eyes that is so mesmerizing. “Remember what I said earlier,” Toni had said. “You fight like hell, Nicole. I just need you to wake up, then I can take it from there, okay? We’ll get you fixed. I promise.”

 

Now they’re sitting in the waiting room, playing the waiting game. Or maybe it’s the crying game, they haven’t decided which. Cheryl is sitting next to Toni, their hands interlocked. Waverly is sitting in between Betty and Veronica, her head resting on Betty’s shoulder. Jughead is on the other side of Betty, his hand on her thigh. Sweet Pea and Fangs are sitting next to each other, sunken into their chairs. Archie is by Veronica, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Josie is next to Kevin, both of their legs bouncing in anticipation. The rest of the Serpents are all by each other, including F.P., ready to help in anyway they can. Reggie is on the other side of Archie, unsure what to say or do.

 

It’s been hours and none of them have moved and they’ve barely talked. They receive hourly updates from an O.R. nurse. So far, everything is going as planned. They’re doing a decompression surgery in order to remove the blood from Nicole’s brain and fix the damaged blood vessels. They said it would only take two to three hours, but it’s been nearly five. All of their heartbeats have sped up and nervousness has taken over.

 

“Gosh, how much longer?” Cheryl asks. She’s become restless, longing for an update from the O.R. nurse.

 

Toni squeezes her hand gently. “Do you want me to go get you something to eat? You haven’t eaten all day.”

 

Cheryl shakes her head. “I’m fine, babe.”

 

Not too long after that, the doctor came into the waiting room and announced that Nicole made it out of surgery. She also said that they were able to stop the brain bleed completely and that Nicole will make a full recovery. Now, they just have to wait for her to wake up. The doctor explained to them that she could wait up at anytime, they just have to be patient.

 

So they’re waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Nicole’s no longer in an ICU room, they moved her to a regular room, which is exceptionally bigger than the ICU room. There’s a couch that can be turned into a small bed, which is better than the little couch they were stuck sleeping on, and the chair that’s in the room reclines.

 

Everyone left soon after it was announced that Nicole was going to be okay. The remaining people are: Jughead, Betty, Archie, Veronica, Toni, Cheryl, and Waverly. Seven people, Nicole’s heart. Some would call it friends being there for other friends, but, to them, it’s wholehearted love — it’s family. No one can take that away from them.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I have a favor to ask...Will you guys go look at the page I just started on Tumblr? It's about music. Please check it out and maybe drop a follow. Here's the link: https://musicalmusee.tumblr.com


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